The Iron Cue
by FairyTailxoLove
Summary: Perhaps it was fate that the neighborhood bookworm, Levy McGarden, ran into the dangerous delinquent, Gajeel Redfox. Or perhaps she was being chased by thugs. Regardless, the meeting had sparked something in Levy; something that screamed danger...but why couldn't she stay away? GaLe. AU.


**The Iron Cue**

_Summary: Perhaps it was fate that the neighborhood bookworm, Levy McGarden, ran into the dangerous delinquent, Gajeel Redfox. Or perhaps she was being chased by thugs. Regardless, the meeting had sparked something in Levy; something that screamed danger...yet why couldn't she stay away? GaLe. AU._

Out of all the days to get lost, Levy McGarden simply had to pick _that _particular day to do so.

Never mind the fact that the young woman was tired, hungry, and cold. Her main frustration was that the bookstore would be closed by now; the very bookstore that was selling limited edition novels for _half price_! The bookstore was unknown and unheard of to the girl; in fact, it was her best friend, Lucy Heartfilia, who had told her of this special offer. What her friend did not know, unfortunately, were proper directions to get to the store. Thus, Levy found herself in a completely different part of the city with no way home.

She had taken a taxi, and then stupidly got out, self-confident in her sense of direction. Her confidence began to dwindle into nothingness as the streets became completely unfamiliar to the poor girl. With only a few dollars in her pocket, Levy could not afford a ride back home. Not only that, but she had _no idea _where she was, so how would a taxi find her?

Levy reached into the pocket of her sweater and pulled out her cellphone. With wide, disbelieving hazel eyes, she watched as her phone flared to life, only to die on her moments later.

"I'm going to kill Lucy," the blue-haired girl murmured darkly, a crease marring her brow. She had kept calm all throughout the night, but seeds of distress were being planted inside her. The area she was in clearly screamed danger; she was an idiot to wander the streets, looking so lost and alone.

She walked briskly, her eyes darting from side to side; however, the more she walked the more lost she became. It was late, too. Levy did not know the time, but fatigue was slowly taking over her small, frail body.

On cue, as if the Gods were laughing at her misery, it began to rain. The seventeen-year old squinted up into the sky, glaring as she was pelted with raindrops. Light rain was bearable, even comforting. This rain, on the other hand, was hard, fast, and harsh.

"You can't be serious," she groaned, scrambling to find shelter.

She made herself a mental note to _seriously_ kill Lucy when she got out of that mess.

* * *

Eventually, Levy found herself in front of what looked like a bar. It was sketchy and clearly not meant for a teenage girl. Graffiti splashed the walls and cigarette butts dotted the foundation. Levy shifted uncertainly from foot to foot, gnawing on her pink lip in thought.

She had no means of transportation and she was sure she would kick the bucket if she stayed out in the pouring rain any longer. With a deep sigh, Levy hunched her shoulders and stomped into the bar with determination.

A bell chimed when Levy entered, and she was greeted with the overpowering smell of alcohol and men. The whole interior of the place was rotting and moldy and—_god do not tell me that is a blood stain on the wall_. Levy gulped, her eyes owlishly wide.

Everyone stopped and stared at Levy, who stood against the doorway, slightly petrified. The patrons were all men with vicious grins and leery eyes; they all fit the description of criminals. Their attention lingered on the bluenette, who managed to swallow her initial fear and took tentative steps towards the bartender.

The man behind the bar watched suspiciously as she approached, all the while drying beer glasses. Levy stepped up to the bar, her hands nervously wringing together.

"Hi," Levy whispered hoarsely. She quietly cleared her throat and tried again. "I...I was wondering if I could you use your phone?"

The man gave her a once-over, shot her an unimpressed look, and continued to dry the beer glasses.

"H-hello?" Levy asked again, determined to get her phone call.

A sensation like ants crawling on her back ran across her spine, and Levy looked over her shoulder...

...Only to see two guys blatantly staring her down with sluggish smiles. One had pale skin and flaming red hair, while the other had dark brown skin and cropped hair.

"Hey dollface, how's you be wanting a good time. We'll show you a good time, won't we, Yomazu?" The red head grinned, not taking his eyes off of Levy. Levy in turn noticed his slurred speech and starry eyes; he was clearly intoxicated.

"You said it Kawazu," the other man replied, taking a step towards Levy.

Warning bells went off in her head, and Levy followed her instinct; she made a run for the door. However, Yomazu jumped in the way, reaching out to grab at her waist. With a grunt, Levy threw her head back, smashing it into the man's face. Her actions elicited a satisfying _crunch_ from the man's face on impact. He immediately let her go and held his nose, cursing aloud.

The door was blocked so Levy looked for any other escape routes; her eyes landed on a closed door, and she wildly ran to it.

To her dismay, the door led to stairs going down. Regardless, she sprinted down the stairs, panting as she took in the scene.

The room the stairs had led to was dim-lit; cigar smoke almost as thick as fog hovered over the low ceiling. A jukebox blared heavy rock music in the background. A large pool table was the main focus of the room; multiple billiard balls rested in various areas on the lush green felt of the table. However, Levy's focus was far from the pool table.

Instead, she was focused on the man who was leaning against the table; he held a cue in his hands, with the tip precisely focused on a black 8 ball. She halted in her tracks, unable to tear her eyes away from this man. He had multiple silver piercings on his face and long black hair that was roughly pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a black muscle shirt that hugged his torso in all the right ways. It left his arms bare, for her to see the black ink sleeves tattooed upon his muscular tan limbs. He wore loose jeans that hung low on his hips; as he stretched over the table, Levy spotted a flash of the hard muscle around his abdomen. He was attractive in an exotic, wild kind of way.

Despite her grand entrance, he did not so much as glance up at her. A cigarette dangled precariously in his mouth, his eyes downcast and coolly concentrating on the game. As the two men, Yomazu and Kawazu, hurried down the stairs, the man shot his pool stick, driving it into the tabletop.

One of the two thugs grabbed Levy by the arm in a rough manner. She cried out, and desperately backhanded the man with her free hand. He cursed, and dug his fingers painfully into the soft underside of her arm. Levy's eyes welled with tears.

"You bitch!" He snarled as she clawed at him. He yowled in pain as Levy's nails broke skin.

At that moment, the man glanced up. Spotting the action in her peripheral vision, Levy looked up from her struggle. She gasped slightly to be greeted with cool crimson eyes.

As his red eyes sliced into her, the corners of his mouth tilted up. Levy's heart fumbled a beat, only to palpitate faster. His smile wasn't friendly. It was a smile that spelled trouble. With a promise.

"Help!" Levy pleaded the man, fiercely squirming away from her attacker. The man's mouth moved into another barely-there smile. It was hard to say if it was mocking or friendly.

"She's with me," he growled in a deep, rich voice.

The two ruffians looked up in annoyance, only to completely loose their vigor upon laying eyes on the man.

"Oh shit, oh shit! S-s-s-so s-s-sorry G-g-g-gajeel!" They stuttered, immediately releasing Levy. She shook off their hands and weaved around the tables towards the man as the two scampered up the stairs. She took the first several steps in stride, but found her confidence slipping the closer she got to him.

Those red eyes were getting to her. They were like magnets clinging to her every move. Levy swallowed discreetly and tried to ignore the queasy flips in her stomach. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about that man wasn't right. Something wasn't...safe.

"Uhm, thank you for saving me," she said in a low voice. The man did not respond, his gaze lingering on her. She shifted slightly and tucked in a stray hair in a self-conscious movement. After a moment, she raised her doe eyes to lock stares with his critical gaze.

With a tilt of his head, he motioned to another man -one who Levy did not even notice- to leave. The man was ebony-skinned and moved with the grace of a predator...perhaps a panther. He nodded, and excused himself, sparing Levy a thoughtful look.

Levy jumped slightly at the sound of the door slamming closed. It was just her and the man in the room..._Gajeel_.

"I'm sorry for the trouble...I'll just leave now," she spoke hurriedly, taking a step back. The man was attractive and dangerous..._definitely _the kind of guy that she should stay away from.

"What your name?" He asked, that voice so rough and so rich and that Levy suppressed a shiver. She debated whether or not to give him her actual name, but by the way he was looking at her, she was sure that he could tell through any lie.

"Levy," she answered simply, straightening her shoulders. "Levy McGarden". With a little hesitation she added, "And your name is Gajeel, right?" He nodded slightly to confirm her question.

"Uhm, thank you for helping me out..." She muttered, unable to look him in the eye.

Gajeel laid his pool stick across the tabletop and crooked a finger for Levy to come closer. She didn't.

"So what are you doing here, Shrimp?"

"It's Levy!" She growled, fists clenched. Her stature was a touchy subject.

There was another ghost of a smile that flitted across his face as she fumed.

"For someone so small, you really shouldn't be that full of yourself," he gave her a once-over and thoughtfully added, "especially in a place like this".

"It's not my fault that I'm in a place like this! I just wanted to go to a bookstore but my friend messed up the directions and I got lost and it started raining and my cellphone died and-and..."

Levy faltered when she realized that he must have taken a step closer, because their bodies were separated by nothing more than a shallow margin of air.

He smirked down at her, clearly aware that he was trespassing on her personal space, and clearly _enjoying _it.

"W-will you just do me a favor?" Levy tried to sound firm, but it came out feathery and light.

Gajeel simply lowered his head to hers, that smirk still on his face. From their close proximity, Levy could see every detailed inch of his face, from that fanged grin to his sharp, mischievous eyes.

"What kind of favor?"

Levy arched her eyebrows; she was pretty sure that was an innuendo, but was too embarrassed to call him out on it.

"I need to borrow your phone." She was proud of how steady her voice sounded.

"Leaving so soon, Shorty?"

She took a step back, finally able to rid herself of the stench of cigarettes. With hard, focused eyes, she stared him down.

"Please."

Without missing a beat, he slid out a sleek and shiny phone from his pocket, handing it over to her. She desperately tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach when his calloused hand brushed against hers, lingering on the soft skin for a brief moment.

With a deep breath, she dialed a number on the phone, glancing up to see him lean back against the pool table, arms crossed, watching her idly.

She almost cried out in relief when a familiar "_Hello?" _was heard on the other end of the line.

"Lucy? I'm lost and I don't have any money..."

"_Levy! Oh my gosh, I'm on my way! Where are you? Are you safe?"_

Levy risked another peek at Gajeel, to see him still leaning against the table, taking a drag out of his cigarette. Upon catching her gaze, he smirked slightly and blow a ring of smoke at her direction.

She gulped slightly.

_Was she safe?_

**AN: Yeah, I don't know where this came from. I don't even know if it's any good. This is what I do when I should be filling out University applications...*Facepalm***

**Anyways, this story is probably going to be no more than 5 chapters. And I feel like Gajeel is OOC (he smiles more than he should...he usually NEVER smiles in the manga), but he's all dark and dangerous, so it's more of his Phantom Lord persona. Review and tell me what you think!**


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